Boxoffice-May.03.1952

. . Back
. . Sam
. . Maury
. .
Pull WEC Pickets
As Hughes Tribute
LOS ANGELES— 111 tiibiilf to Howard
Hughes for his "firm stand against communism
in Hollywood." the Wage Eanicis Committee
has withdrawn the pickets which it
established around the RKO Hillstreet Theatre
when that showcase began its first run
of Columbia's "The Marrying Kind " The
supporting feature on the bill is "Whispering
Smith vs. Scotland Yaid." a British-made
film being released by Hughes' RKO Radio
organization.
The WEC. target of multimillion-dollar
damage suits filed by Stanley Kramer and
Dore Schary. has undertaken theatre picketing
at spasmodic intervals, blasting at pictures
on which it claims Communists or sympathizers
have been employed. Kramer and
Schary. in sepai-ate actions, seek heavy damages
and injunctions against further picketing,
alleging the WEC has wrongfully and
maliciously linked their names with Communist
movements.
The Marrying Kind" is now in its third
local week at the RKO Hillstreet and has
been carding substantial grosses, bearing out
the theatre management's contention that
the WEC picketing did not measurably affect
trade at the boxoffice.
Ralph Batschelet Slated
To Pilot New Denver Fox
DENVER—Ralph Batschelet's recent appointment
as manager of the Tabor Theatre
is considered temporary
until completion
of the new' Fox Theatre
at 16th and Cleveland
place. When that
house is finished,
Batschelet will manage
it, it is now
learned. Announcement
of his temporary
assignment was made
by Hall Baetz at a
meeting of Fox theatre
Ralph Batschelet
Pox Denver Theatres.
managers. Baetz Is
district manager of
Gene Manzanares, who
has been managing the Tabor, takes over the
Webber, another Fox first run.
Before he took over the 16th and Curtis
streets situation. Batschelet managed the
Paramount for nine years when It was in the
Fox Intermountaln chain and before it recently
went to Wolfberg Theatres. He entered
theatre business in Denver in 1932 and
in succeeding years managed the Bluebird.
Hiawatha, Mayan and Paramount. He is nationally
recognized for his showmanship,
established a world record in his country store
promotion at the Bluebird. Inaugurated the
first theatre beauty clinic in the nation at
the Paramount and will take this idea with
him to the Tabor. He successfully revived
the cooking school idea at the Paramount and
will also present it at the Tabor. His kiddy
show, called Deputy Dan, will also be held
at the Tabor on Saturdays at 9:30 a. m.
Batschelet has been a leader in many civic
organizations and promotions as well as the
theatre business. He is chief barker of Variety
Tent 37.
SEATTLE
"Two theatres, the North Bend in North Bend
and the Issaquah in Is.saquah, formerly
owned by W. K. Beckwith, have been sold to
D. R. Rarey. Beckwith will continue to do
the buying and booking for the houses . . .
Marjorie Smith has joined the National Theatre
Supply office here as a stcno-biller, replacing
Dorothy Cohen. She formerly was
with MGM . from trips to eastern
Wasliington are Bud Hamilton, Republic
salesman, who al.so was in northern Idaho:
Republic Manag:er Paul D. McElhinney, who
was in Yakima, and Ed Cruea. Monogram
manager, also in Yakima.
Visitors on the Row included Guy Spencer,
Proctor Street: John Kane, Capitol; Sid
Dean, Rex and Lakewood, and Jim Hofner,
Shell, all of Tacoma. Others were Eddie
Snow, Mount Vernon; Frank L. Wlllard,
Parkland: Mr. and Mrs. George Barden.
Blaine; C. J. Barney. Arlington; A. G. Peechla,
Eatonville and Morton; Max and Melva
Hadfleld, Colville and Chewelali; Harry Wall,
Lewlston; Frank Pi'att, Bellingham; Ed Johnton,
Spokane; Arnold Larson. Bellingham,
and Lowell Spiess, Dayton.
L. O. Seley, manager of the Manley Popcorn
Co., recently returned from a trip to
Spokane where he checked installations at
Al Baker's Motor-In and Erma Lindsay's
Band Box in Spokane and Mi-s. Mary Bergstrom's
Selma at Republic. Seley reports that
a new super stadium model soon will go into
the Orchard Auto-In, which will be opened
May 20 by Ed Metzgar. Seley will soon leave
for Oregon to inspect installations in that
state.
Peter Barnes was in town from Toronto.
He operates the Ruby Theatre In Chtlan .
Two major French productions. "L'Affalre"
and "Lady Paname," opened at the Music
Box . . . "The African Queen." now playing
at John Hamrlck's Orpheum and Blue Mouse,
marks one of the few times that a first run
film has played simultaneously at two downtown
theatres. Wllllard Coghlan. advertising
manager for the Hamrick chain, predicted
the picture may set a new record.
. .
Vic Gauntlett, advertising manager for
Evergreen Theatres, is reported seriously
ill at his home . . . Carl Mahne, merchandising
manager, and Frank Christie, buyer for
Evergreen, were in Portland . Siegel,
Columbia field representative, is back on the
Row after a nine-week jaunt in the Rocky
mountain states in connection with "Death of
a Salesman" . Buck Seale. Columbia salesman,
has returned from Spokane, and George
Clarke, shipper, is back at work after a threeweek
illness.
. .
Russ Riches, former manager of the Tower
in Bremerton, has been named new manager
of the Varsity in Seattle, replacing William
Kostenbader, who resigned . Saffle.
Saffle's Theatre Service, returned from a
three-day trip to Prosser, Grandview and Yakima
. Drive-in theatre operators of Washington
and northern Idaho met recently at the
New Washington hotel to organize a drive-in
theatre association. Among those present
were Arnold Larsen, Motor-View, Bellingham:
Henry Wall, Lewlston, Ida., and Bud
Anderson, Park-In, Kennewlck.
Cerebrol Palsy Trailer available from May 15 to
July 1. U.S. defense needs your copper drippings.
NEW CONCESSIONS CHIEF — Al C.
Schuyler, transferring from the midwest,
has been named western district concessions
manager for National Theatre Supply.
Headquartering in Los Angeles, he
has 11 western states, as well as the Kansas
City, Omaha and Des Moines territories,
under his supervision.
Salt Lake's Roundup
To Be Held June 18-20
SALT LAKE CITY—The seventh annual
E.xhlbitors Round-up of the area will be held
June 18-20 in Salt Lake. As in the past,
the event will feature the golf match, a
Calcutta, special teas and luncheons for
women visitors and the victory dinner dance.
It is expected that women golfers will participate
in the tournament this year for the
first time or stage an auxiliary tournament
of their own.
Since the roundup is staged under the direction
of Variety Tent 38 of Salt Lake, several
events will be at the clubhouse, although
the major attracJ;lons are expected to be
either at the Utah or Newhouse hotels.
Members of the general committee for the
roundup are K. O. Lloyd, Harry Swonson,
Clyde Blaslus, Harold Green, Ralph Trathen,
Shirl Thayne, Keith Pack, Bob Brady and
Earl Stein.
Too Many First Run Houses
Cause Orpheum to Close
OAKLAND—Robert Rothafel, district manager
for Fox West Coast, reported the Orpheum
will be closed for an indefinite period
because of insufficient film product. "We
have in Oakland what the trade calls a critical
multiple first run situation," Rothafel explained.
"This simply means that there are
too many downtown theatres requiring first
run product for weekly change policies."
"The policy of special roadshow pictures
was effectively used by the theatre with such
pictures as "David and Bathsheba," "Streetcar
Named Desire," "An American in Paris"
and "Quo Vadis," which policy proved profitable
and popular, but the supply of such pictures
is now exhausted and the only other
alternative would be for the house to go into
reissues," said Rothafel.
56 BOXOFFICE :: May 8, 1952